My Uberti Walker has tapered chambers!?

[delrom418]

Is it normal for the chambers on a Uberti Walker to be tapered? The chambers on my '51's and '60's are straight.

I was lubing and measuring a Uberti Walker I just acquired when I noticed the chambers are tapered. Using pin gauges they measure .450 at the mouth and taper gradually to .440 at the base. All six chambers are consistent with these measurements.


While I'm here I might as well ramble on about how tight the barrel-to-arbor fit was. I couldn't use the normal method of using the loading lever to remove the barrel from the frame. I had to hold the barrel and smack the trigger guard with a soft-faced hammer! Once the pieces were separated it was apparent either the arbor diameter was oversized or the hole for the arbor was undersized. Some sandpaper solved that problem and now it's a nice fit!

 

[Big_Blue]

You're a brave man. I just would have assumed that was the way they were meant to fit and left it alone.

Hmm, just realized this was my first post on this forum. I'm active on many others, and have been apparently lurking hear for a year or more. Happy to have joined you all.

 

[25cschaefer]

0.010" is quite a bit of taper for a cylinder, just measured mine (kit gun), it has none. I wonder if this would cause bullets to creep forward. I would be very tempted to get a decimal reamer the size you want and ream them out straight. You could match your bore size correctly and not have to worry about your balls falling out.

 

[tscmmhk]

I have found that some cylinder chambers have steps in chamber diameter. An example would be .445" about .5" into the chamber and then .442" the rest of the way. Like you, I used precision pin gauges to determine the chamber diameter. Some of the Pietta cylinders I checked were the same diameter all the way to the base of the cylinder. Bottom line is that cylinder chamber diameters seem to be all over the place.

 

[Old Fuff]

Not speaking for current day replicas, but some of Colt's original patent drawings do show tapered chambers. The purpose might have been to put more metal between the cylinder bolt cuts and chambers, but this is speculation and with modern steel it's a moot point.

 

[delrom418]

I wonder if this would cause bullets to creep forward. I would be very tempted to get a decimal reamer the size you want and ream them out straight.

I was thinking the same thing. I would feel better if the chambers were straight walled. I would ream them .450 all the way to the bottom. But before I do anything I should just shoot it and see if there's a problem. Maybe I would use a .454 ball when the chamber is full of powder and the ball is at the mouth, and use .451 balls for reduced loads when the ball is in there a ways.

 

[rodwha]

I'd actually think you'd prefer a larger ball for a little more surface contact to help hold it in place.

 

[RS1860]

My new Uberti Dragoon has tapered chambers as well. It's kind of annoying. I was seating a ball on top of the powder and it came back out with the loading lever. It may have just been that one ball because I didn't have that problem again and I don't think I had creep. I was checking for it after that

 

[oldfogey4ever]

Thinking of getting the Dixie "Kit" Walker

Was of getting the Dixie Gun Works "kit" Walker, kind o' nice to discover that the things I'm slowly acquiring for my ss Remmy "Bison" I'll have more than one use for (was thinking of getting the .4535 reamer offered here for my Remmy in a month or two). The reason for such a large reamer is that I'm planning on using Ojamaa's 240gr. 456 conicals, and a Walker (with its longer cylinder,) would be a 'nice' kit to build, I'm thinking.

 

[Hellgate]

RS1860,
Check the inside rim of your rammer. I had one that would often pull the balls up out of the chambers on a Walker and I found it had a sharp edge, almost a lip that caught the lead of the ball and pulled it out. A little creative sanding (or maybe a Dremel, it was a long while ago) took the edge off and problem solved.

 

[rodwha]

oldfogey: I bought 100 of Kaido's 240 grn bullets to use in my Ruger Old Army which has ~.453" chambers. I used Triple 7 with stout loads and after a few shots 1 or 2 of the bullets would creep. I was told that's why Kaido had the 255 grn version meant for the ROA mic'ed at .460".

You may want something along the lines of .450-.451" chambers if you intend on that bullet.

 

[Jim K]

So they copied the originals. What is the problem?

Jim

 

[4v50 Gary]

Worn reamers?

 

[RS1860]

Thanks Hellgate, I'll give it a look see!

 

[RS1860]

The tapered chambers are nice when shooting conicals. Makes them perfectly align

 

[delrom418]

So they copied the originals. What is the problem?

Jim

Ahhh, so the originals had tapered chambers? Didn't say it was a problem, just wondering if it was normal. Thanks.

And thanks Hellgate for the tip. I haven't shot mine yet (waiting for it to warm up around here) but I'll be checking the rammer for sharp edges before I do.

 

[Hellgate]

The sharp edge was on the inside of the ram face (cup).